Feeding mechanism for cloth-piling machines and the like



June 24, 1930- 4 J. J. 13TH 1,768,414

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CLOTH FILING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Jul 6, 1928 Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oFF cE JOHN J'. LY'IH, F VALLEYFIELD, QUEBEC, CANADA FEEDING- MEGHAINISM FOR CLOTH-FILING MACHINES AND THE LIKE I Application filed m e, 1928. Serial No. 290,865.

' This invention relates to improvementsspeed and with such great accuracy as to' enter the receiving device exactly at a predetermined point.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for adjusting the feeding device to compensate for changes in the direction of material coming to it and to 5 change the direction of material leaving-it,

both adjustments serving to secure the accuracy of delivery previously mentioned.

A still further object is to provide for easily passing knots or snarls which are I found in roped cloth and similarmaterial.

Various other objects and the advantages of the invention may be ascertained from the following description. I

In textile mills, piling machines are coming into general use to expedite the filling of kiers. It frequently happens that introduction of piling machines leaves but little headroom under a ceiling in which to place winces or other cloth feeding devices so that the diameter of feeding drum must frequently be less than usual. This circumstance coupled Withthe greater lineal speed of cloth to be obtained compels a very high angular speed in the feeding device and, in

consequence, a centrifugal effect-is obtained which causes the cloth rope to, leave the feed-' ing drum. These conditions place such a limit upon the angular speed that it becomes impossible to realize a desired lineal 40 speed of cloth feed.

Furthermore, at high lineal and rotative speeds, it is difiicult because of centrifugal effect to control the point of departure of cloth from the feed roll which determines the direction of the cloth passing from the feeding device to the piling or other mechanis'm. If the cloth is not properly directed, it tends to and frequently does reach the piling or other receiving means at an improper point and piles up on the machine,

clear the machine. [This greatly lowers the efliclency of the machines.

In addition to all the foregoing, a change in the direction of approach of the cloth to the feeding means will shift the point at which the cloth leaves the feeding roll along the roll, so that misdirection of cloth may'result'from this cause also with disadvantage as previously explained.

According to this invention, mechanism of a size suitable to the restricted space available, adapted to feed cloth accurately and at high lineal speed, comprises essentially a feed roll of small diameter, adapted to operate at high angular speed, mounted in vertically adjustable bearings, a keeper roll associated with and urged toward the feed roll, driving means for the feed roll includ-' ing a slipping clutch, and an adjustable eye to guide cloth to the feed roll.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, but to which embodiment and the details thereof the invention is not confined;

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the cloth feeding means.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the entrance end of the device (the left hand end in Figure l Referring more particularly to the draw ings, l1 designates a feed roll ofrelatively small diameter adapted to be operated at high angular speed so as to impart high lineal speed to cloth passingythereover. The roll is fixed to a shaft 12 mountedin bearings 13 vertically adjustable on depending threaded'posts 14: forming part of a bracket 15, the adjustment being secured-by'nuts 16 co-operating with the posts above and below the bearings."

' An idle keeper roll 17, preferably of less diameter than the feed roll, is associated therewith and is mounted on a shaft 18 parallel with the'shaft 12 and journalled in the lower end of a rigid frame comprising arms 19 fixed to a bar 20, the ends of which are journalled in lugs 21 springing from the upper part of the bracket 15. The location of the lugs 21 and the length of the arms thus necessitating frequent stoppings. to V suitable material adapt-ed to afford a good grip on the cloth and at the same time to avoid injury thereto.

The roll 17 is urged toward the roll 11 by any suitable means, such as helical springs 23 tensioned between the arms 19 and the remote posts 14% or other suitable parts of the device.

On the opposite side of the feed roll from the keeper roll, a cloth guiding eye 24 of any usual or suitable form is provided and is mounted in an arm 25 pivoted to a bracket 26 and adapted to be adjusted in a vertical plane parallel with the axis of the roll. The contacting portions 27 of the arm and bracket are toothed for inter-engagement to secure the arm in any desired adjustment and the arm is provided with a threaded stud 28 passing through the bracket (which stud may if desired serve to pivotally connect the arm and bracket) and carrying a nut 29 tosbear against the bracket and clamp the toothed portions together.

One end of the feed roll shaft 12 preferably projects beyond thebearing and carries a driving pulley 30 connected thereto by a slipping clutch comprising a sleeve 31 fixed to the shaft and having a flange 32 bearing against one side of the web 83 of the pulley; a second sleeve 34 splined on the sleeve 31and having a flange 35 bearing against the other side of the pulley web 33; and a spring 36 in compression between the outer or unfianged end of the sleeve 34': and an abutment 37 on the sleeve 81, which may conveniently be one or more nuts screwed on the end of the sleeve 31.

Cloth in roped form or other material, designated 38, passes through the eye 2d over the roll 11 and downwardly between the rolls 11 and 17 to a piling machine, kier or other receiver designated 39.

Normally, the material is to be considered as coming to the feeding device in a path extending at right angles to the shaft 12 andfintersecting the roll. midway of its ends. Under such condition, the eye 24 is centered in medial transverse plane of the roll ll, as shown in Figure 2, and the cloth will pass over the roll midway between the ends thereof. If the source of the cloth changes, as frequently happens, and it approaches the roll at an acute angle, it shifts in the eye from a central position at the top to a position at one side with the result that it would pass over the roll toward one end thereof and thus alter the point of departure from the roll. To avoid this, the eye 24 is adjusted away from the source of the cloth until the cloth passes over the roll midway between the ends thereof; the adjustment being effected by loosening the nut 29, swin ing the arm 25 and again tightening the nut.

The idler or keeper roll 17 serves to hold the cloth in contact with the feeding roll 11 against the action of centrifugal force tending to cause the cloth to fly away from the cloth does not fall exactly desired into the receiving element 39, the roll 11 may be adjusted upwardly or dowi'iwardly by means of the nuts 16. By combined adjustment of the roll 11 and eye 24-, the cloth may be directed to arrive at any given point in the receiving device 39. The yielding pressure of the roll 17 and the resilient covering of the rolls ensures against damage to the cloth: and enables the passing of knots connecting the lengths of cloth which make up the rope. Owing to the high lineal speed at which the cloth is handled and the effective traction of the roll 11 (due to the roll 1?), even momentary interruption in the supply of cloth to the feeding device would with an inflexible drive cause such tension in the cloth that breaking of the rope or damage to the cloth likely. The slipping clutch provided be tween the pulley 30 and shaft 12 guards against cloth breakage by providing a flexible drive, the tension of the spring 36 being adjusted to provide only a slightez-zcess of friction. between the flanges 32, and the pulley web over that required to transmit the power necessary to feed the cloth under normal conditions. If there is any interruption in the supply of cloth, the clutch merely slips. This slipping also occurs if a knot or snarl comes to the rolls and will not pass between them.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. in feeding mechanism for cloth piling machines and the like, in combination with a receiving device, a horizontal feed roll above the receiving device to supply material thereinto, an idler roll urged toward the feed roll and ads ted to hold material in contact with the f (1 roll, the feed roll being vertically adjustable relatively to said idler to determine the point of departure and direction of material leaving the feed roll whereby the material will be directed to any desired point of the receiving device.

2. In feeding mechanism for cloth piling machines and the like, in combination with a receiving device, a horizontal feed roll above the receiving device to supply material thereinto, an idler roll associated with the feed roll axially parallel thereto, said rolls being relatively adjustable in vertical direction to determine the point of departure of material from the circumference of the feed roll, whereby the material will be directed to a predetermined point of the re ceiving device.

3. In feeding mechanism for cloth piling machines and the like, in combination with a receiving device, a horizontal feed roll above the receiving device to supply material thereinto, an eye through which material coming to the feed roll passes, said eye being adjustable along the roll to determine over what part in the length of the roll the material will pass, and an idler roll on the opposite side of the feed roll from said eye, said rolls being arranged axially parallel and relatively adjustable in a vertical direction to determine the point of de parture of material from the circumference of the feed roll, the adjustments of said eye and rolls enabling the material to be directed to any desired point of the receiving device.

4. In feeding mechanism for cloth piling machines and the like, in combination with a receiving device, a' horizontal feed roll above the receiving device adapted for rotation at such high angular speed that the material would leave the roll by centrifugal force without acquiring the desired lineal speed, an eye close to the feed roll at a level below the axis of the feed roll through which eye material passesto the feed roll, an idler roll on the opposite side of the feed roll from the eye, said rolls being located approximately at a common level, and means to urge the idler roll toward the feed roll, said eye and idler roll co-operating tohold material in contact with-the feed roll through approximately half the circumference thereof in opposition to centrifugal force whereby the material will attain the desired lineal speed.

5. In feeding mechanism for cloth piling machines and the like, a bracket, a horizontal feed roll vertically adjustable in the bracket, a frame pivoted to the bracket, an idler roll journalled in the frame and thereby held axially parallel with the feed roll, and means to urge the idler roll toward the feed roll.

6. In feeding mechanism for cloth piling machines and the like, a feed roll, a bracket,

an arm pivoted at its upper end to the bracket at a level above the roll and adapted to swing lengthwise of the roll, an eye carried by the lower end of said arm through which eye material passes to the roll, and means.

my hand.

JOHN J. LYTH. 

